The final club up for our End of Season analysis is Blackpool, taking their place in the Premier League courtesy of a dramatic play-off final win over Cardiff City. Despite finishing in sixth place, the Seasiders proved more than a match for their more illustrious play-off opponents, beating Nottingham Forest both home and away before the dramatic Wembley over Dave Jones’ side last weekend.

A thoroughly deserved step up into the top-flight for Ian Holloway’s men, then, but one that already has the bookies marking them as red-hot favourites for the drop next season. Here’s a look at how they got there:

The Statistics

CS = Cleansheets

Blackpool’s attacking style of play is illustrated in the fact that they only failed to score in one home game all season. Although they netted 2 or more goals in 15 of their matches at Bloomfield Road, they also conceded 2 or more goals on 7 occasions, with Holloway’s ethos meaning the last thing they’ll do is come to the Premier League to park the bus.

On the road, Blackpool conceded 2 or more goals 12 times, ie- in more than half their matches. They managed to find the net 2 or more times in 7 of their away games, and only failed to score 6 times on their travels. Only six away wins all season in the Championship suggests they will probably have to rely on home form alone in the hunt for Premier League points next season.

As Holloway himself said:

You’ll probably see us take a few hammerings, but those top clubs will have to come to Blackpool and it might find one or two out.

The Manager

There’s a multitude of witty quotes to be found on the internet that Ian Holloway is perhaps best known for. Always ready with a quip and great copy for football writers around the country, the Blackpool manager will undoubtedly illuminate the Premier League next season with his undeniably bizarre musings and metaphors.

However, a season out of management has turned his football philosophy on its head, and Blackpool have been the lucky recipients of his new-found wisdom. Holloway’s time as a media pundit allowed him the chance to watch games from high up in the stands rather than at pitch-level, and, according to the Bristolian, made him see the error of his previous 4-4-2 long ball ways.

I was sat above it and could see the overall picture and pattern. There were people doing things that I didn’t do. I looked at why there were doing it and it was because of the space.

I looked at what I was doing and there was fear behind every move I made, and I don’t want my players to play like that. I want to be free and attack. I don’t want to bore my way to a 1-0 win.

Holloway’s arrival in May 2009 saw a 4-3-3 formation implemented at Blackpool, with the inter-changing front three being true forwards, attacking full-backs who maraud up and down the wings and add weight to every offensive charge, centre halves who push up and join in attacks, and a hard-working, flexible slick passing system built around playmaker Charlie Adam. Added to his brilliant ability to instill an outstanding team spirit amongst his charges, Holloway seems to have hit upon a winning combination with spectacular effect. As the man himself says, fear is the last thing on his team’s mind:

Petrified to go to Old Trafford? I would attack them. I would go there to win the game. Playing 4-4-2, squeezing up the pitch and looking for knock-downs, is that what the game is all about? I want to entertain people and entertain myself. If it ends up 20-0, so be it.

The Promoted Squad

Another remarkable aspect of Holloway’s achievement is the fact that he has had to work with a small squad of players with lower-league experience in the main, supplemented by loan signings with plenty points to prove. Here’s the key figures in Blackpool’s promotion season, then:

Paul Rachubka (20 starts)
The previous season’s Player of the Year at Blackpool, he started the season as first choice goalkeeper, but seems to have been overtaken in Holloway’s thinking by Matthew Gilks.

Matthew Gilks (28 starts)
Given a chance by Holloway earlier this season, and hasn’t looked back. Short-listed for the club’s Player of the Year, Gilks, like Rachubka, is a great shot-stopper but his organisational skills means he has a better rapport with his back four. Good penalty-stopper, too.

Stephen Crainey (43 starts, 3 assists)
The left-back has vast experience, having played for the likes of Celtic and Leeds. A virtual ever-present last season, he rarely seems to have a bad game. Vital to Blackpool’s chances of survival next season.

Neil Eardley (22 starts, 2 sub apps. 3 assists)
A Welsh international, though still only 21. Holloway bought the highly-regarded right-back from Oldham last summer, but Eardley missed much of the club’s run-in with hamstring troubles, causing the Blackpool boss to draft in Everton’s Seamus Coleman on loan to cover his absence.

Ian Evatt (37 starts, 1 sub app. 4 goals, 2 assists)
A towering centre-half, Evatt previously played under Holloway at QPR. Established himself at the heart of the Blackpool defence and proved a valuable goal threat at the opposition end, too.

Alex Baptiste (44 starts. 3 goals, 2 assists)
A centre-half who can play pretty much anywhere across the back four, his adaptability proved crucial when injuries forced Holloway to shuffle his hand last season. Holloway recently said of him…

“…he has been different class. I believe he can play in the Premiership and I have told him that. I am working on the areas that he needs working on, but as a defender I don’t think I have had a better one”.

Rob Edwards (19 starts, 3 sub apps)
Club captain in the previous season, injuries sidelined the centre-half and the solid performances of others have subsequently limited his playing time. The club has chosen not to renew his contract and although he has been technically released, Holloway has assured the defender he may still be offered a new contract.

Charlie Adam (43 starts, 2 sub apps. 17 goals, 11 assists)
Undoubtedly, the major target for any Fantasy managers looking to target Blackpool players. The club’s record signing for a mere £500K last summer, Adam is the playmaker and set-piece taker for Holloway’s side, and is the man who makes them tick. Starred for Rangers when Paul le Guen took over, but was never given much chance by Walter Smith. His performances have since made a mockery of the transfer fee. A real talent who should blossom in the Premier League.

Keith Southern (45 starts, 2 sub apps. 2 goals, 3 assists)
A real box-to-box midfielder whose graft allows Adam time on the ball to be the creator. The former Everton man is a real tough tackling presence in the centre of the pitch, and his dynamic performances have played a major part in the club’s success last season.

David Vaughan (39 starts, 1 sub app. 1 goal, 4 assists)
A former left winger, now converted to centre midfield alongside Southern as part of the engine room, though perhaps the more cultured of the pair. Another unsung hero whose role and interpretation of Holloway’s ethos is fundamental to the team’s performances.

Jason Euell (23 starts, 10 sub apps. 4 goals, 3 assists)
The club captain, signed on a free transfer in the summer from Southampton. His adaptability allows Holloway to shift him between a midfield and forward slot, though with the midfield starters pretty much set in stone, he gets more playing time up front.

Hameur Bouazza (11 starts, 8 sub apps. 1 goal, 3 assists)
Another Holloway summer acquisition, his appearances have been limited through a combination of injuries and African Cup of Nations absence, severely limiting his chances to hold down a first-team place, as he started less than a quarter of the team’s leageu matches. Has now been released by the club.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher (28 starts, 6 sub apps. 6 goals, 5 assists)
Is able to play in midfield, but Holloway sees him as part of the front three. An all-action performer, he is often the middle of the trio, but with the forwards interchanging at will, can find himself in any one of the slots.

Brett Ormerod (29 starts, 9 sub apps. 11 goals, 4 assists)
Re-joined the club in the January 2009 transfer window on a free. The veteran clearly still has an eye for goal and netted his fair share of goals this term, as well as grabbing the winner against Cardiff at Wembley.

Ben Burgess (20 starts, 17 sub apps. 6 goals, 3 assists)
A big, bustling centre forward whose size causes problems for every type of defence. More than likely to be an impact sub when the club steps up to the Premier League. Contract-wise, in the same situation as Rob Edwards; the club have chosen not to offer a new one at present, though the situation may change as summer progresses.

In addition to these permanent squad members, Holloway managed to get a few players on loan who made vital contributions to the cause:

Seamus Coleman (11 starts, 1 goal)
The Everton right-back excelled after arriving in March and his performances were not only vital in ensuring the club’s promotion, but in helping him obtain a new contract at his parent club.

DJ Campbell (16 starts, 1 sub app. 11 goals)
Arrived on loan at the beginning of February and made an instant impact with a host of vital goals, including a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest in the play-offs. Fitted in perfectly to the Holloway system, and his goals per game ratio shows just why he’s already linked with making the switch a permanent one.

Stephen Dobbie (6 starts, 12 sub apps. 5 goals, 3 assists)
Another who came to the club at the beginning of February. The Swansea forward still managed a more-than-decent return for his on-pitch minutes, showing Holloway seems to know exactly the type of players required to make his system work.

Barry Bannan (8 starts, 13 sub apps. 1 goal)
The young midfielder joined at the end of November from Aston Villa and stayed at Blackpool till the end of the season. Missed some time due to a broken toe, but still played his part in nearly half the league games last season.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (11 starts, 1 goal)
The versatile Arsenal youngster spent three months on loan from the end of August, and is another example of Holloway‘s ability to obtain young, hungry players from the bigger Premier League clubs who have something to prove.

The Potential Targets

“We have proved that anything is possible if your team have determination and belief, and we have proved that you don’t have to buy success in English football; money isn’t everything.”

The words of Blackpool President Valerie Belekov, recently hailing the frugal way in which the club has spectacularly over-achieved. Last season, their wage bill was the second lowest in the Championship last season -reports vary between £4.8m and £6m- and given Holloway’s management style, it would be no surprise if no big-name players come to the club this summer. Team spirit is imperative, temperament as vital as talent in the Blackpool gaffer’s eyes:

“What matters is the man inside, not how he looks. These lads are going to play somewhere they deserve to be, in the Premier League, because they are top-class human beings. I want to thanks every one of them for what they have given me.”

It’s no coincidence that the only players currently linked with to Bloomfield Road next season are three of the above-mentioned loans from last season, further proof of the Blackpool boss’ ethos of working with what he knows.

Since last weekend, DJ Campbell has already pleaded with parent club Leicester to allow him to complete the move on a permanent basis.

Another loan move for Seamus Coleman is on the cards, too, with the young Irishman fitting in seamlessly at right back at Blackpool. With the likes of Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville (factor in the adaptability of Johnny Heitinga and Phil Jagielka) all ahead of him in the Everton right-back reckoning, a season under Holloway would give him vast Premier League experience.

Stephen Dobbie appears likely to arrive from Swansea, with Holloway clearly happy to reward those who served him so well.

Despite being handed a substantial transfer kitty, Holloway himself has admitted his priorities initially lie off the pitch:

“We need to make sure we have enough money to finish building our stadium and develop a new training ground before we start spending on players.”

Currently, the stand for away supporters is temporary but upon completion should take the stadium capacity to 16,000. Blackpool had the second-lowest average gate in the Championship last term, but every home game will surely be a sell-out this time round.

Holloway’s loan deals certainly suggest he has the ear of the likes of Arsene Wenger, Martin O’Neill and David Moyes when it comes to obtaining upcoming stars to supplement his squad, and no doubt rumours and stories of supposed signings will continue to appear all throughout the summer.